Books of Summer
Read It Forward's Summer 2019 Thriller Picks
Kirkus Reviews' "11 Addictive Must-Reads"
Gripping...Brisk...Nell's work on the case is smart and efficient, which gives the book a crisp tone and pace. Her final discoveries startle her and the reader....Readers will hope to savor more of her gimlet-eyed takes.
NewsdayWhat better way to start the summer than this?...I read it in six hours. On a Saturday. I loved it, could not put it down....So well-written...Highly recommend.
Dana Perino, host of "The Five"
"Gripping...
Girls Like Us isn't just a page-turner; it also examines class, race, and power on Long Island through the point of view of a protagonist who straddles those lines."
BuzzfeedThe type of thriller that will keep you guessing until the last page.
PopSugar
"A truly timely, ripped-from-the-headlines tale of exploitation, abuse, and corruption. Tautly wound police-procedural-thriller aside, Alger's novel is a smart, searing indictment of just one of the many contemporary examples of the haves vs. the have-nots."
Seattle Review of Books"Alger's novel is highly political, deeply felt and fast-paced."
The Sunday Times (UK)
"Cristina Alger has perfected the character of the smart, spunky heroine....[I] couldn't put down
Girls Like Us."
Shelter Island ReporterPlenty of surprises and some unexpected twists to push you to the finish, and lots of tension along the way. The women whose lives were lost in the novel feel real specific in their characterizations, yet universal as (like us) they try to make the best of their circumstances.
The East Hampton Star"[An] edge-of-the-seat adventure...This is not a book to put down easily: plan accordingly. Alger's thriller is emphatically plot-driven, but her characters hold their own....Heart-racing action and a twisty-turny plot.
Shelf Awareness"If you like mysteries with thriller endings...and a main character you root for don't miss this one."
BookRiot
[
Girls Like Us meets] the hype and then some. With fascinating, deep characters and excellent plots with good twists, I was enthralled.
MysteryPeople[An] excellent crime novel...[Alger] captures the social dynamics of Suffolk's eastern extremes perfectly. The first-person narrative is appropriately terse Nell delivers a thorough report but it occasionally surprises with a gripping depth....Highly recommended.
Booklist (starred review)
[A] propulsive thriller...Alger expertly ratchets up the suspense all the way to the explosive finale. Readers will hope to see more of tough, smart Nell.
Publishers Weekly [Nell] has a vulnerable, empathetic core that will pull readers in, and Alger has a feel for small-town dynamics....The tension becomes nearly unbearable as Nell realizes she truly can't trust anyone. Readers can expect a few genuine surprises, and the light Alger shines on society's most vulnerable members is an important one. Melancholy and addictive.
Kirkus ReviewsThis fast-paced psychological thriller...will intrigue mystery readers as they shadow Nell's precarious quest for the truth at all costs, despite the consequences.
Library Journal This thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page.
The Everygirl Girls Like Us is the best of psychological suspense: nuanced, expertly fast-paced, and full of surprises you truly don't see coming. Cristina Alger is my kind of writer as graceful on the page as she is gritty. Harlan Coben
Riveting...I'm a fan of Cristina Alger, who now proves that she can write about anything, anywhere. Lisa Scottoline
Cristina Alger, who is known for creating pulse-pounding plots and gutsy female protagonists, has done it again. Gritty, twisty, and unputdownable, GIRLS LIKE US is sure to be the thriller to read this season. Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, authors of
The Wife Between Us and
An Anonymous GirlA smashing read. Instantly gripping and compulsively readable, with a heroine as vulnerable as she is tenacious. Riley Sager, author of
The Last Time I LiedGirls Like Us is something special: A beautiful, deeply textured novel and a poignant, surprising mystery. I loved it, every chapter and every word. I m going to be thinking about it as a reader, a father, and a storyteller for a long, long time. Chris Bohjalian, author of
The Flight Attendant
